Remembering Meredith Page

Sadly, last week we learned of the passing of one of Walker’s dearest friends, Meredith Page.

Meredith was a dedicated supporter of Walker for almost half a century, a relationship which began when she sought the pure milk from Needham’s Walker–Gordon Dairy for her infant son in 1957. After the dairy closed and subsequently became the site of the Walker Home For Boys, Meredith lent her support and would become the longest serving board member in Walker’s history. She summarized her motivation by saying”There is no greater thrill than to provide a child with a future.”

The widespread community support that Walker has received year after year can be traced back to the tireless and enthusiastic efforts of this one remarkable woman.

Meredith became Walker’s first community volunteer in 1968 and continued that role for more than 41 years. She formed the volunteer program which has resulted in thousands of people donating tens of thousands of hours to the Walker children and staff, and a volunteer program that continues to thrive today. A fellow board member said that “she wanted to work with the boys, to have fun, and raise money at the same time.”

Her first volunteer job was to start afternoon “clubs” for the children. A friend recalls that “The young ones had been in foster homes and didn’t know what a mother was like, to have food cooked for them. The kids would bake chocolate chip cookies or brownies at her house.” She gave the kids chores, brought them on outings in the community and shared some of her own nurturing with them.

Meredith also started the philanthropy program which has raised millions of dollars to support Walker’s nationally acclaimed programs. She founded the first fund-raising group, the “Friends of Walker” and raised support through barn sales, auctions and white elephant sales. She and her husband Donald chaired the first Walker golf tournament in 1988. Today, the Fore the Children Golf Tournament is a highly anticipated major charitable event in the region and has raised more than $ 2 million since it first began. She was involved in the first and every subsequent capital campaign which helped to build the housing and school buildings.

Her passion for volunteering at Walker was spread throughout every aspect of governance and policy at Walker. A member of the strategic human resources committee and the nominating committees, and as secretary of the Board of Trustees she advocated for excellence in leadership as well as for the optimal employment experience for the more than 250 Walker employees. She held numerous positions on the board of trustees and corporation through her 41-year tenure and she recruited many other talented people to join her.

Meredith will always hold a special place in the history of Walker as a champion of The Other 23 Hours. Walker‘s founder Al Trieschman inspired her involvement at Walker through his groundbreaking book which described the benefits of a powerful therapeutic environment for helping troubled children   Says one colleague, “the idea that you are always learning in life, that is what attracted Meredith.  She became a part of the other 23 hours, not just caretaking but reclaiming a child’s life. She was the other 23 hours.”

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 10:00 A.M. at the Congregational Church of Needham, 1154 Great Plain Avenue, Needham.  A reception will follow at the Wellesley Country Club. 

Friends can offer their condolences in an on-line memorial guest book.